The present invention relates to a work platform for the drywall, home improvement, and general construction industries. These industries involve a large amount of repetitive lower back and deep knee bending including leaning over to perform tasks such as, but not limited to, making measurements and marking and cutting drywall and picking up large objects including, without limitation, hopper guns and buckets of joint compound. It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide a work platform for drywall and construction tradesmen that reduces or eliminates repetitive lower back and deep knee bending.
Currently work platforms for the construction industry exist. However, there is nothing at this time that enables a tradesman the ability to individually and ergonomically carry, store and work from a single piece of equipment. Most of these current platforms are about 24 inches in height, which still requires some bending on the part of a user when performing tasks on these platforms. Also, some currently known platforms are made of plastic, which may not be strong enough for some tasks and may slip from a user's grasp when moving the platform. In addition, current platforms do not comprise tool holders. Most portable platforms that are currently known do not compensate for the tipping forward of the hopper that occurs when lifting a loaded hopper gun by its handle alone. Also, there are often many different tradesmen performing various different trades at a single job site, and a problem on a job site where multiple trades are working is the presence of obstacles such as, but not limited to, extension cords, two by fours, pipes, and drywall, which may be staged, stored or in the way. Many currently known work platforms do not provide clearance for these obstacles or have large footprints that require moving these obstacles in order to make room for the platform.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for improved techniques for providing a multi-function work platform that is tall enough to reduce bending, that provides tool storage and is maneuverable around obstacles on the jobsite.
Unless otherwise indicated illustrations in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale.